


The Quest for Ranger Wolf

by literaryoblivion



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, First Kiss, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Meet-Cute, POV Alternating, Shopping, Single Parent Derek, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Single Parents, Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 03:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2836829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a single dad is hard. Really, being a single parent of any kind is hard, but since Stiles has no idea about being a single mom, dad it is. Sometimes he thinks of his dad the years after his mom passed away, and honestly he has no idea how his dad did it, both doing his duty as the town’s Sheriff and raising a spastic little boy/teenager.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Quest for Ranger Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [howl-to-the-wind (greenleaf)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenleaf/gifts).



> HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I hope you enjoy the fic. It turned out WAY longer than I had planned. :)
> 
> Thanks to my beta by C.

Being a single dad is hard. Really, being a single parent of any kind is hard, but since Stiles has no idea about being a single mom, dad it is. Sometimes he thinks of his dad the years after his mom passed away, and honestly he has no idea how his dad did it, both doing his duty as the town’s Sheriff and raising a spastic little boy/teenager.

His dad gives him answers like, “Well, you remember grandma came to live with us for a few months right after,” and Stiles will nod and reply, “She left. It was only a few months.” Then his dad will say something like, “You spent many nights over at the McCall’s with Scott, and Melissa took care of you,” to which Stiles says, “Don’t even get me started on another amazing single parent like Melissa, okay, Dad? I can’t handle it right now.”

Then the Sheriff will laugh and say, “Stiles, you’re doing just fine. Ben is happy, he’s fed, he goes to school, he loves you. That’s what matters. Everything else you’ll figure out.” Stiles usually feels better after one of those talks, walks over to the couch where Ben’s totally conked out, a toy slowly slipping from his grip, and brushes his hair off his forehead.

It’s difficult being a single dad, working extra night shifts at the hospital so he can afford to both pay rent and buy Ben new clothes, or shoes, or something nice for his birthday, but as he looks down at his five year old son sleeping peacefully, he thinks it’s all worth it.

Of course, at the moment, Stiles isn’t remembering that when he curses at himself on the drive home from work when he realizes he _still_ hasn’t gone Christmas shopping and there’s only three shopping days left.

He knows when he walks in and relieves his dad of his babysitting duties, Ben is going to ask why they still don’t have presents under the tree, and he’s going to have to make something up. He’ll have to see if his dad can take Ben again so he can go shopping, but he has full work days for the next two days. Thankfully, Ben has been easily occupied with his grandpa, making a mess of the kitchen for the sake of Christmas cookies (which thankfully Melissa joined later to make sure said cookies were edible), and Stiles is still finding glitter in odd places after their snowflake cutting/decorating party to spruce up the house. Seriously, he is so thankful for his dad and for Melissa because he honestly feels like he’s been a terrible parent as of late.

When he finally pulls into the driveway and walks in, he can smell pizza and his stomach grumbles at the scent. He had to skip lunch today because of work and when he did have time to finally eat, he didn’t because of work. Being an orderly is not a glamorous gig.

“Hey, I’m home!” he calls out as he shuts the door and sets his keys on the counter and kicks off his shoes.

“Daddy!” he hears Ben yell from the kitchen, and soon he sees his mop of brown hair pop up from behind one of the kitchen chairs. Ben quickly shuffles out of his seat and comes running to Stiles, who’s already squatting down with his arms open, ready for Ben’s tackle. He lets out a grunt when his son collides into him, and he pretends to be knocked backwards on his back at the force.

Ben giggles and climbs up so he’s sitting on Stiles’s stomach, looking down at him, a huge grin on his face. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, kiddo.”

“What did you do today?” Ben asks as Stiles lifts him off of him so he can sit up, then places his son back in his lap.

“Well, let’s see… I helped Mrs. Johnson check out cause she’s all better now. Had to clean up some not pleasant stuff on a few of the floors, but guess what?” He leans in close so that their noses are almost touching, and Ben gets visibly excited.

“What?” Ben asks in a whisper.

“Aunt Melissa let me sneak this,” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a plastic toy dinosaur, “for you from off one of the cupcakes someone brought in.”

Ben smiles wide and accepts the toy from Stiles like it’s the greatest thing in the world. “This is so cool!” Ben says in awe. He throws himself against Stiles again, his arms around his neck. “Thanks, Daddy,” he mumbles against Stiles’s skin.

“You’re welcome. Now, what did you do today?” Stiles asks, resting his hand on Ben’s side to encourage him to lean back so he can look at him. He’s definitely Stiles’s son, large brown eyes and moles dotting his face. Stiles can see traces of Ben’s mother in his face, but it’s painful to think about so he pushes it aside to focus on what Ben is telling him.

“Well, Grandpa took me to the store today, and we got some…” Ben scrunches up his face as he thinks about it, then shakes his head like he’s not going to try to say what he was originally going to. “Special medicine. And, he let me pick out your Christmas presents!” Ben jumps out of his lap and yanks on Stiles’s hand to pull him into the living room where their tree is. Ben points at the tree, “See? He helped me wrap them too, and now we have more presents!”

Stiles looks down and can see the added gifts, and which one is clearly Ben’s because it has double the tape than necessary, and he sees part of the gift peeking out of the wrapping paper where it’s not covered. There’s a few others, which must be from his dad, and he’s so grateful that his dad took care of that already. Now he just needs to worry about his own presents and those from “Santa.”

“They look awesome!” Stiles shouts, and Ben looks thoroughly pleased at Stiles’s praise. Stiles looks up to see his dad leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, arms folded with a small smile on his face. “Did you finish eating?” Stiles asks, turning back to Ben, who’s on his stomach halfway under the tree admiring his handy job.

“We were waiting for you,” he answers, climbing back out from the tree.

“Well, wait no longer. Come on, I’m starved.” Stiles takes Ben’s hand and walks with him over to the kitchen table, where his dad’s already set out plates and glasses of water for the three of them.

There’s already a slice of cheese pizza on Ben’s plate, and Stiles helps him into his booster seat. As soon as Ben’s seated, he starts eating his slice. Stiles can see his dad open his mouth, probably to say something about manners, but Stiles waves him off as if to say it’s fine. The Sheriff shrugs as he takes his own plate back to where the pizza boxes are resting on the counter. When Stiles follows him, he can see a small container of salad, which his dad is now dutifully dishing out onto his plate.

“Thanks for taking him shopping,” Stiles says, low, while he watches his dad take what was probably a healthy salad and drench it in dressing. His dad did him a big favor today, so he’ll let it slide. At least he’s eating something green underneath all the dressing.

“My pleasure. It was fun. I might have suggested a few things you might like better, since he seemed to be convinced you’d want a Ranger Wolf just as badly as he does.”

“I do,” Stiles admits without skipping a beat. His dad rolls his eyes, and Stiles gives him a smirk. “So, that’s what he wants from Santa, right?” Stiles whispers, looking behind him to make sure Ben is thoroughly involved with his pizza and not listening to them.

The Sheriff nods, then turns to give Stiles a sad wince. “The store we went to was pretty cleaned out of them. Hope _Santa_ can find it.” He gives his son a sad smile, like he knows Stiles hasn’t gotten the toy yet, and he understands the predicament.

Stiles sighs. “Yeah… I hope he can, too.”

***

Being a single dad is challenging. Juggling work and family is difficult for anyone that has both, but it somehow feels like so much more of a feat when you have to do both alone. Of course, Derek’s been mostly alone for the entirety of his adult life, so it’s something he’s used to, but during the holidays, that loneliness feels oppressive. He has deadlines to meet, functions to attend, and on top of that he has to worry about presents for his son.

He should have got them weeks ago, when the toys his five-year-old son requested first hit the shelves, but he had to stay to finish a report, and then it turned into a week-long project, and then he completely forgot about the list his son wrote out to Santa. He loves his son, he does, but if he wants to make sure that he goes to the best schools, and eventually can afford to attend the best college, he has to work more now to save up. He’s sure his son, Ryan, understands that.

Of course, maybe he doesn’t when Derek comes in (late) and sees the back of Ryan’s head as he runs to his room and slams the door. Derek sighs and sets his briefcase down on the table next to the now cold lasagna his live-in housekeeper/babysitter Erica made. Erica is at the sink, clearly angry if the way she’s scrubbing at the dishes is any indication.

“Looks good,” Derek says, hoping he can start off with a complement to try to deflect any rage.

“It’s delicious,” Erica says shortly, “of course it was when it came out of the oven, but now that you have to nuke it, who knows?”

Derek opens his mouth to say something, but decides to let Erica take out her anger on the rest of the dishes instead of on him. He silently dishes out some lasagna and goes to the microwave with his plate. It’s not until a few minutes later, after he’s seated with his reheated meal, a fork to his mouth that Erica goes off on him.

“I’m so tired of this, Derek!”

Derek sets his fork down and contemplates how much worse his food will be if it’s reheated twice. Even though, technically, he is Erica’s boss, they were friends first before he ever employed her, and she’s never been one to hold her tongue, even with their current dynamics. He waits, watches as Erica shuts off the sink, dries off her hands, and throws the towel on the counter.

“I’m tired of making up excuses for you. You didn’t even bother to send an apology text this time.”

“You know how tied up I can get at work. I’m sorry I missed dinner; I’ll make it up to you.”

Erica looks at him, her eyes and mouth open wide in shock. “Seriously?! This isn’t about dinner!”

Derek narrows his brow at her. “What else would it be about?”

Erica laughs, and it’s just unsettling enough that it worries Derek. “Do you honestly not remember? You were supposed to meet us. At the mall? We were going to go Christmas shopping? Finally? Any of this ringing a bell?”

Finally, recognition dawns on Derek, and he closes his eyes, disappointed with himself. He lets his head fall down on the table. “Shit. I completely forgot that was tonight.”

“Yeah, obviously,” Erica says, pulling out the chair next to Derek. The anger seems to have dissipated, at least enough for her to run a comforting hand along the back of Derek’s neck. She gives it one last squeeze before she hits him on the back of the head.

“Ow!” Derek’s head pops up from the table, and he glares at her

Erica stares back, unfazed by his threatening stare. “That’s what you get for being a forgetful asshole and for me having to make up some excuse for you. You owe me. But, more importantly, you owe Ryan. An apology for starters, but…” Erica sighs, scoots her chair closer to Derek, places a hand on his knee. “Look, I know you love Ryan and you’re killing yourself to try to earn this money for him, but I think… Ryan doesn’t care about money, he just wants his dad around. You’re missing so much of his life, and… you’re going to regret that someday.”

Derek looks down at the table, unable to look at Erica because he knows she’s right. He’s missed so many of Ryan’s little league games, and school activities because he’s been so worried about Ryan’s future. But, if he continues down this path, what kind of future will he find waiting for him? Will Ryan even want to be a part of Derek’s future?

He rests his head in his hands, listens as Erica’s chair scrapes against the floor while she pushes it back to stand from the table. He can feel her warm hands on his shoulders for a few seconds as she pats him and walks back to the sink to finish the last of the dishes. Derek contemplates finishing his food but decides he’s far too upset to stomach eating right now, eating is not important. What he needs to do is talk to Ryan.

Derek pauses outside his bedroom door, listens before he knocks. Ryan is having a conversation with himself, or at least that’s what it sounds like. Derek strains his ears to hear through the door and can finally make out what he’s saying:

“ _But, Ranger Wolf, how will I know what to do?_ ” Ryan says, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal. “ _When the time is right, you’ll know. Just remember, your pack is important; they are your support. They are always there for you, just like you are for them. You’ll know how to protect them when the time comes._ ” This time, Ryan’s voice is lower.

There’s silence for a moment, and Derek contemplates knocking then, but just before he does, Ryan speaks again, his voice normal, quiet. “ _I wish Dad was pack._ ”

It’s those words alone that break Derek’s heart more than what Erica said to him earlier. He has to fix this, he has to make it up to Ryan somehow, prove to him that he is pack, that Derek would do anything for Ryan. He raps gently on the door with a knuckle before he slowly opens the door to find Ryan sitting on his bed, a doll in one hand, and what must be Ranger Wolf in the other, although the wolf looks a little worn.

“Hey, buddy, can I come in?” Derek asks. Ryan shrugs, which Derek takes as an okay, and Derek shuffles into the room, avoiding discarded toys and clothes scattered on the floor to take a seat on the bed next to Ryan.

When he sits, Ryan doesn’t look up at him, continues to move his toys around in his hands like he’s still acting out some scene in his head between him. He knows Ryan is doing it on purpose, ignoring him until Derek says something because he’s angry with him.

“Who’s this?” Derek asks, pointing to the female doll in his son’s hand.

“It’s Miss Martin. She was trapped by an evil druid with magical powers, but Ranger Wolf and his pack rescue her.” At the utterance of “Ranger Wolf,” Ryan holds up the other toy, the one of his favorite superhero and smiles, like he’s forgotten all about how upset he was earlier because how could you be upset when talking about Ranger Wolf?

“That’s very brave of him,” Derek replies, scooting closer. He holds out his hand, and Ryan gives him Ranger Wolf. Derek examines the toy, notices how most of the paint has chipped off, and the “RW” on the toy figurine’s chest has rubbed off enough to make it look like “IV” instead. “It looks like this guy’s been in quite a few battles,” Derek says, handing it back to Ryan with a smile.

“It’s okay. I asked Santa for a new one.”

“You did, huh?”

Ryan bobs his head, his black hair flopping down in front of his green eyes. He could probably use a haircut, Derek thinks.

“Although…” Ryan says, biting his lip and looking up at Derek through his eyelashes.

“What is it, bud?” Derek says, concerned, scooting closer to Ryan on the bed.

“Tommy said that Santa doesn’t exist and he isn’t real.” His voice is a mixture of sadness and fear and hesitance, like he almost believes this Tommy kid is right, but he’s looking for an excuse not to believe his friend.

“Well, I’m pretty sure Tommy’s getting coal in his stocking this year,” Derek says, “because that is not true and I’m positive Santa would be very upset with Tommy for saying he doesn’t exist.”

Ryan’s head shoots up, his eyes wide as he looks at his father. “He’s real?”

“Of course! I’ve met him.” Derek decides a little more embellishment couldn’t hurt.

“You have?!” Ryan is sitting up on his knees now, excited. Derek nods. “Can I meet him?”

Derek winces. “He’s a pretty busy guy, especially this time of year, you know.”

Ryan sits back down and nods his head in understanding. “Right.”

“But, his people--”

“Elves, Dad.”

“Right, elves. His elves have gotten in touch with me and assured me that they received your list, and you are definitely getting a new Ranger Wolf.”

His son grins, then quirks an eyebrow. “How’d they get in touch with you?”

“Uh… they emailed me.”

“What’s their email?”

“You know, I think it’s time for bed,” Derek suggests hoping he won’t get any more questions from his curious son. “Santa won’t come if he knows you’re staying up past your bedtime.”

Ryan nods, climbs out of bed to put away his toys and change into pajamas. Derek sits on the bed and waits while his son brushes his teeth and crawls back into his bed.

“Want me to read you a story?” Derek asks, making sure the blankets are tucked in around Ryan.

His son shakes his head while he yawns. “No, that’s alright, Dad. I know you’ve had a long day.” Derek frowns, about to insist on reading a story before Ryan adds, “and I’m kinda tired.”

Derek sighs. “Okay.” He leans over to press a kiss on Ryan’s forehead. “Good night.”

“Good night, Dad,” Ryan mumbles, turning over on his side and closing his eyes. Derek pats his shoulder and leans over to turn off his bedside lamp. Just as he gets up from the bed, Ryan sighs out, “Love you.”

Derek’s heart clenches. “I love you, too,” Derek whispers, giving one last kiss to Ryan’s cheek before quietly shuffling out of his room and closing the door behind him.

He goes back to the kitchen, but Erica has already put away the lasagna. He doesn’t feel like pulling it back out, so he gets a bag of chips from the pantry and a beer from the fridge and plops down on the couch in front of the TV.

The house is quiet, and it’s late, almost 10pm. Erica is probably already asleep in her room, and Derek should probably go to bed, too. Instead, he goes to their DVR and finds a few recordings of the Ranger Wolf show that his son loves so much. It’s pretty entertaining for a children’s show, and he’s glad it’s taught his son some good values as well. As he watches, he wishes Ryan were watching with him, sure it would be more enjoyable to watch him watch the show than Derek do so by himself.

As the episode plays and he nurses his beer and chips, Derek thinks over the list Erica had given him of Ryan’s Christmas wishes, and he’s almost positive there was no mention of a new Ranger Wolf action figure on there. He does rely on Erica to tell him what Ryan wants since she spends more time with him than Derek these days, unfortunately. But, perhaps Erica took him to a mall Santa, and Ryan added the toy to his list then.

Whatever the case, Ranger Wolf is not among the wrapped presents under the tree or in the stash of unwrapped gifts he had ordered online in Derek’s closet that he hasn’t had time to wrap. With a full next few days of meetings and work to do to close out the year before the holidays, he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to go to the store to get it. He could ask Erica, but he doesn’t think she would appreciate the crowds and lines that last-minute shopping would bring. Besides, he’s the one that needs to get this present. He has to find it.

Surely, it can’t be that hard.

***

“What do you mean you’re all sold out?” Stiles shouts over the phone. He’s in an empty hospital room, one he’s technically supposed to be cleaning, but he is at his wit’s end trying to find a store that has what he needs. “No, I’ve already called that store, and they told me the same thing.” He sighs, “No, thank you. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I hope you have a good day.” He hangs up and shoves his phone in his pocket.

He is so screwed. He has snuck away to call at least ten toy stores within a 15 mile radius, and every single one of them has told him the same damn thing. They are all sold out of the Ranger Wolf action figure.

One of the stores actually suggested he look online, like he hadn’t thought of that already. Not only would he not be able to afford to pay extra shipping to get it in time, he’s positive that even if he did pay extra, with his luck it would arrive the day after new year’s. No, he was going to have to extend his search farther out. Surely there must be a store somewhere within the tri-county area that still has a Ranger Wolf toy.

He goes back to replacing the sheets on the bed, perhaps a little more forcefully than he should, and contemplates how far he could force his old jalopy of a car to drive to find his son the one toy he wants for Christmas.

***

Derek may have gotten side-tracked by a few work-related things, forgetting about his commitment to find Ryan a new Ranger Wolf from Santa. By the time he remembers, it is on the eve of Christmas Eve, so ordering it online for next day shipping is out of the question. If he wants Ryan to believe in Santa and in a way Derek, he is going to have to have the gift ready and waiting for Ryan bright and early Christmas morning.

Still at the office, he searches a few toy stores in the area and calls around, hoping he can put the toy on hold and pick it up on the way home from work. It is already getting late, near 8pm, and he knows if he at least had the toy, he could give Erica that excuse for missing dinner again. She has sent him very irate texts for the last two hours now, berating him on how he needs to stop being such a workaholic and spend the days before Christmas with his only son who was tired of spending all his time with his nanny.

Somehow Derek thinks it isn’t necessarily Ryan that is tired of Erica, but more like Erica wants a break and vacation from his son. With him home from school for the winter break, Derek’s sure that Erica has run out of things to entertain him with after the second day of him being home. He is sad to admit it, but in a way he is grateful that Erica is for all intents and purposes an orphan much like himself. She had grown up in the foster care system, and nowadays, Derek and Ryan were her family. Derek thinks she’s met someone because occasionally she does ask for nights off, which Derek willingly gives her, but she hasn’t come out and said it to him just yet.

He dials store after store within the city limits, getting more and more angry and frustrated, and at 9:30pm he gives up. No one seems to have the toy he needs, and one of the employees that answered right out laughed at him when he asked. Then the guy even added that some other slacker father called about the same toy earlier, telling Derek that the other guy sounded nicer and he hopes that guy buys the last one in the state. And okay, maybe it was one of the last stores he called and he was kind of rude to the guy, only because he was so frustrated with the situation, but the kid could have been a little more courteous. He packs up his things and heads home.

“Where have you been?!” Erica yells as soon as Derek walks in the door, and Derek does not need this right now.

“I have been trying to find this goddamn toy for Ryan!” he shouts back, thanking the stars that it’s so late that Ryan is in bed already and his room is upstairs on the other side of the house.

“What toy? I thought you got them all already.” Erica furrows her brow, her hands on her hips. Her hair is up in a messy pony tail, and she’s already in her pajamas, flannel pants with penguins on them that Derek got her for Christmas last year.

“I thought I had too, but he told me he asked Santa for a new Ranger Wolf.”

Erica opens her mouth and then snaps it shut, her lips thinning. “That stupid mall Santa. I knew I shouldn’t have taken him there. Not only was that line a nightmare, but then of course they made the parents stand back so I couldn’t hear what he said.” She’s fuming now, but luckily it’s not aimed at Derek.

“Erica, _Erica_. It’s fine. I just… All of the stores in the city I’ve called are sold out, so I’m going to have to go further out tomorrow to find one.”

“Tomorrow?” Erica frowns, her hands falling from her hips to her sides. “But… tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. We have plans. Ryan’s been looking forward to having you home and not at work.” Erica’s almost pouting too, like she’s channeling Ryan.

Derek sighs, rubs his hands over his face. “I know, Erica, I know. But… I have to get this toy. If you heard him… He doesn’t even think his own father’s pack.” He ignores Erica’s look of confusion and continues, “Erica, I have to find this toy.” He stares back at her, features firm and resolute.

Erica pats him on the cheek and sighs. “Alright, but if you’re not home by 6pm, there’ll be hell to pay.” She slaps him a little harder on the cheek, then leans in and kisses the same spot. She shakes her head, her hair swinging back and forth, as she walks away from him and up the stairs to her room.

Tired and hungry, Derek rummages through the fridge trying to find something to eat while he comes up with a game plan for tomorrow. He actively avoids any shopping the days leading up to Christmas, and now he’s purposefully planning to go out in the chaos on Christmas Eve.

He heats up the leftovers he finds in the fridge and takes them and a beer up to his home office. He does a search for local toy stores in a 50 mile radius and makes a list of all the ones he hasn’t contacted yet. It’s too late to call any of them, so he’ll have to start early tomorrow morning, call while he’s on the road, most likely, eliminate stores as he goes.

With the list of stores and contact info printed and his plate empty, he heads to bed. He’s got a full day ahead of him of fighting frantic moms and overworked dads and painfully slow grannies to get the one toy he needs. He can do it, though.

***

He can’t do this.

He’s not even sure how he’s even functioning at this point, although the five empty disposable cups that once held coffee that are stacked in front of him, may be why he’s still managed to have his eyes open.

“Stiles, I’m sure Ben will understand if he doesn’t get it,” Melissa says, but her voice is distant, like Stiles is too far gone already to even register it.

“No, Melissa, I have to get it. It’s from Santa. Santa can’t say the stores were sold out, so here have a train instead!”

Melissa sighs, running her hand through Stiles’s mess of hair. They are both standing in front of the nurse’s station, practically asleep on their feet after a huge accident on the highway forced them both to do more than they were technically qualified to do. Stiles might still just be an orderly, but every hospital employee knows basic first aid and Stiles’s assistance was needed for this emergency.

“When do you get off?” Melissa asks, glancing at her wristwatch.

“Six thirty.”

“When do the stores open?”

“Seven.”

“Okay,” Melissa says, squaring her shoulders in front of Stiles, her hands on his arms to stand him up straighter. “You have a good forty-five minutes before you clock out. Go take a nap in the lounge right now. I’ll come and get you before you have to leave.”

Stiles’s eyes widen, his mouth open in shock. “Melissa, I still have work I have to do. I can’t just take a nap.”

Melissa waves him off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll cover for you. We’ll get by. You need your sleep, especially if you’re planning on battling the crowds for a toy on Christmas Eve.”

Stiles gives her a grateful smile and collapses on top of her in a hug. She pats his back and gives him a squeeze.

“Alright, don’t fall asleep on me, at least make it to the couch. I can’t carry you.”

He chuckles, using her to push himself back up to a standing position. “Thanks, Mel. Seriously.”

“I know how it is, hon.” She smiles warmly at him and pats his cheek gently. “Now go on.”

Stiles bobs his head, giving Melissa one last quick hug before jogging down the hall to the employee lounge and the uncomfortable couch that will serve as his bed for half an hour.

When Melissa comes in to get him right before his shift ends, he thanks her again and double checks his pockets for the list of stores he had scribbled down last night. There’s really no time to change, so he piles on his coat and scarf over his scrubs and runs out the door. He has a brief moment of panic when his car takes longer to start, but the engine revs and he’s finally on the road.

He didn’t have time to call any of the stores previously, and he doesn’t want to now because his dad has drilled it into his head about driving safety. So, he hopes and prays to every deity and celestial being he’s ever heard of that one of the stores on his list will have the one thing he’s looking for.

***

“This is not what I’m looking for,” Derek growls out to the helpless teenage girl who showed him their selection of Ranger Wolf toys.

“That’s all we have, sir, I’m sorry,” she replies around a wince like she’s worried he’ll attack her for their lack of toys. He holds up the only Ranger Wolf-like toy they have left, which is definitely not Ranger Wolf, but what looks like his sidekick--a red hoodied human, which he knows Ryan has already since he tripped on it this morning on his way out the door.

“Fine. Thank you,” Derek grits out, and the employee turns and basically runs out of the aisle. He’s surprised she doesn’t trip because there are toys strewn everywhere.

He slams the unwanted toy back on the shelf and turns to stalk out of the store, but runs right into someone else.

“Oh my god, dude, what are you made of brick?” the other person shouts from where he’s sprawled out on the ground. The man is thin in his comfortable looking medical scrubs, and he has messy short brown hair, a slightly upturned nose, and a smattering of moles dotting his face. His wide brown eyes stare up at Derek, and briefly, Derek is rendered speechless at how attractive this man is.

He snaps back to reality when the man groans as he slowly sits up, and Derek shoots out a hand to help him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. Are you hurt?” Derek rushes out as the man accepts his outstretched hand.

The man chuckles. “Thanks. I may have damaged my dignity, but it’s okay. I should have known better than to expect to remain collision free during the last shopping day before Christmas.” He gives Derek a wide grin, and Derek can’t stop his heart from fluttering just a bit at the gesture. The man looks past Derek and frowns. “No more, huh?” he asks pointing to the toy display behind Derek.

Derek looks back and shakes his head. “Nope, just the sidekick left.”

The stranger shakes his head. “Man, if only the skinny, defenseless human was the toy everyone wanted, am I right?” He grins again at Derek, and Derek’s lips twitch up at the joke. “Oh, well. On to the next!” the man says with a smile. He waves at Derek and disappears again out of the aisle, leaving Derek alone again.

A woman rudely asks him to move out of the way, and he does so, coming back to himself and regretting not asking for the man’s name before he left. It’s too late, and besides he still hasn’t accomplished his mission of finding the toy. He had given up calling the stores as many put him on hold for so long he was able to walk into the store himself and see they didn’t have what he wanted. So, he’s resolved himself to traveling to each store himself, crossing each off one by one when he walks out empty handed. He gets back into his car and drives to the next store on his list, sighing wistfully at his predicament and the missed opportunity of not asking for the guy’s name or number. Not that it matters. He probably won’t ever see the stranger again in this lifetime.

***

The last person Stiles expects to see when he runs smack into what feels like a wall, again, is the smoking hot, stubbled, leather-jacketed man made of muscle from the previous toy store.

“We should really find a less literal way of running into each other,” Stiles says as he accepts the man’s outstretched hand again.

The man huffs, which Stiles is taking as a laugh because he’s smiling and it’s kind of beautiful.

“Maybe at the very least, you could tell me your name, so I can call it out before I turn a corner.”  The man lifts an eyebrow and smirks.

“Smooth,” Stiles mumbles, biting back a smile. The man still has his hand, so he squeezes it a little and shakes it. “I’m Stiles.”

“Derek,” he answers, holding Stiles’s hand a little longer before letting it slip out.

“Are you on a quest for a Ranger Wolf action figure too?” Stiles asks, tilting his head in the direction of the toy aisle.

Derek nods. “I probably shouldn’t have waited until the last minute.”

Stiles bobs his head, “Who knew it was going to be the it toy, huh?”

“Right.” They both stand there a few moments, unsure of what to say now that they’ve discovered they have the same goal in mind and where they are now won’t help them get their prize.

Stiles rubs the back of his head because he has an idea, but he’s not sure how well Derek will take it.

“So…. how do you feel about making this a team effort?” Stiles asks, moving out of the way when more people rush into the aisle.

Derek furrows his brow. “You mean... going together?”

Stiles shrugs. “Yeah, I mean, maybe… I could call the stores while you drive or vice versa or… I don’t… Nevermind. It was a dumb idea, I’ll just,” Stiles shakes his head while he mumbles out the last part, stepping around Derek to leave.

He’s stopped by a hand around his arm, Derek’s hand. “Wait, I… actually that might be a good idea. I’d… at least appreciate the company.” He gives Stiles a small, hopeful smile, and Stiles grins back.

“Awesome. This way, we don’t even have to find a parking spot every time! One of us could just run out and see while the other waits!” Stiles is already making his way through the throng of people to the exit of the store. And Derek follows him out, a hand still on Stiles’s arm as he does. Stiles is grateful he’s facing away from Derek because the ridiculous smile he’s wearing is probably super embarrassing, but right now he doesn’t really care.

***

Once they are in the parking lot, they both breathe a little easier, having escaped the chaotic environment of last-minute shoppers in the store.

“Who’s car should we take?” Derek asks.

“Mine is a somewhat reliable Jeep that has been holding out okay so far, but who knows what the afternoon will bring if I push it more,” Stiles admits. The last thing he wants is for his brilliant idea to end terribly because they are stuck on the highway in his broken-down Jeep.

Derek shakes his head, grabs Stiles’s hand (and Stiles tries to ignore the butterflies in his stomach when he does), and leads him to his own car.

When he pushes the unlock button on his keys, his Camaro’s lights flash, and Stiles lets out a whistle. “Yeah yours was definitely the better choice.”

Derek rolls his eyes and climbs into the car, Stiles doing the same. They sit a while, pulling out their lists of stores to compare. Derek’s is far more comprehensive and has several Stiles doesn’t even have. By the time Derek puts his car in gear and pulls out of the parking lot, Derek has a destination in mind (the next nearest store) and Stiles is calling the stores that are further away to see if they’ll have better luck.

~

Through the course of the afternoon, they have a system in place. Derek pulls up to the entrance and Stiles hops out to run in. While, he’s in the store, Derek calls the next store, which will inevitably put him on hold until Stiles jumps back in the car with a frown and shake of his head.

They’ve been to five stores and gotten through to four more on the phone, and none of them have had the Ranger Wolf action figure. It’s nearing late afternoon, and Derek remembers Erica’s warning about coming home on time. They’re a good hour or so out of town, so he’s not sure they can hit any more stores before he has to turn around and go back home, empty handed and down trodden.

He and Stiles had stopped for fast food, with Stiles insisting on paying since Derek was driving all over creation. Being with Stiles was the last thing he expected when he set out this morning, but he doesn’t regret agreeing to working together. Stiles talks enough for the both of them, but Derek doesn’t mind. He can tell Stiles adores his son, and while Derek feels the same towards his own, he’s not sure others can see that. After hearing the stories Stiles’s told him about his dad and his son, Derek thinks he’d like to meet them, but he doesn’t voice it out loud. They might have spent almost a whole day together, but they are still essentially strangers right?

Derek’s driving to what he’s decided is the last place they can go to before he’ll have to call it quits, when Stiles hits his arm and grabs his sleeve. He tunes back in to what Stiles is saying on the phone.

“...You sure you have them? And it’s the Ranger Wolf one? More than one? Oh my god. Yes, can you please hold them? Two of them. Yes, we are only a few minutes away, we will be there very soon. Put it under Derek. Yes. Seriously, thank you thank you thank you. To the front? Okay. Yes. Thank you again. Uh huh. Bye!”

Stiles hangs up and clasps his hands together, his face split in two he’s smiling so wide. “The Beacon Toy Emporium has them! Derek! We aren’t going to go home as two terrible, forgetful, overworked dads! We are going home victorious!”

Derek laughs as he continues to drive, and he’ll deny that he steps a little more on the gas to get to the store faster.

~

The excitement is short lived, however, when they get to the store and realize that the girl only put one Ranger Wolf on hold instead of two.

Both Stiles and Derek’s faces fall when the employee, far too cheerful for a retail employee at 4:30 on Christmas Eve, holds up the one toy and hands it over.

“There should be two,” Stiles says. “They told me they would hold two.”

The employee frowns. “Uh, sorry, sir, but there was only one of these back there labeled Derek.” The employee hands it over with a shrug and steps over to help the people in line behind Stiles and Derek.

Stiles stares down at the toy in his hand, biting his lip. He thrusts it out to Derek. “Here, you take it. You’ve… you’ve been driving, and I know how much this means for you to give to Ryan, so you should take it.” He can’t even look up at Derek when he says it, so disappointed and sad.

“No, Stiles,” Derek says, shoving it back into Stiles’s hands. “You work so hard, and you love Ben so much. My son has one; it’s just worn out. Ben deserves this. You should take it. It’s fine. I can always tell Ryan that Santa forgot it, and I’ll order it online for rush delivery.”

Stiles looks up at Derek through his eyelashes, clutching the doll to his chest. “Are you sure?”

Derek gives him a firm nod. “I’m sure.”

Stiles smiles and throws his arms around Derek’s neck and pulls him into a kiss. Derek is surprised at first, but quickly responds, kissing back and wrapping his arms around Stiles’s waist.

“Thank you,” Stiles whispers, breathless and lips brushing against Derek’s when he says it.

Someone clears their throat very loudly next to them, and both Stiles and Derek turn to see the employee from before holding up another Ranger Wolf figure.

“Sorry, it must have fallen behind the shelf,” the worker says holding it out to them.

Derek takes it, and they both say thanks in unison.

“I can, um, I can check you out here if that’s all you’re getting,” the employee adds, almost as a consolation for his mistake.

“Yes, please,” Stiles says, unwrapping himself from Derek’s arms to move toward the counter.

They each pay for their own toy and hold hands out of the store and to the car. It’s like now that they’ve crossed that line, they can’t seem to stop touching each other. Derek rests his hand on Stiles’s thigh, Stiles’s hand on top of his, all the way back into town.

Finally, Derek pulls up into the parking lot where Stiles’s jeep is waiting and the parking lot is now mostly deserted, the store having closed early at 5pm. It’s almost six, but Derek still has time to make it home before Erica’s assigned curfew.

“So, thank you, again,” Stiles says, his hand on the door handle.

“No, thank you. This was… fun,” Derek says around a shy smile.

“It was. Um… if you… do you want to…” Stiles huffs out a breath. “Can I get your phone number so we could do something some time?”

Derek’s face brightens. “Of course.” He rattles off his number to Stiles, who inputs it in his phone and then texts him so Derek has his number. As Stiles moves to open the door, Derek stops him. “If… you and Ben aren’t too busy, you’re welcome to come over tomorrow. I’m sure Ryan would like to meet a fellow 'Ranger Wolf' fan.”

Stiles bobs his head. “Definitely. Yeah. That sounds great.” He hesitates a moment before leaning back into Derek’s space and kissing him.

This time it’s slower and a little more heated than it had been in the store. There’s even some tongue, and Derek can’t hold back the little moan that escapes when Stiles scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip.

“Merry Christmas, Derek.”

“Merry Christmas, Stiles.”

Stiles grins and waves a goodbye once he’s safely in his own car before he takes off, Derek following him out of the lot. He makes it home just as Erica is pulling their Christmas turkey out of the oven, and Ryan is dutifully setting the table. Erica only frowns a little at his late arrival, but she sees the bit of plastic bag sticking out of Derek’s zipped up coat and smiles.

The rest of the evening goes well, and late that night Stiles sends him a video of he and his dad trying to put together the Ranger Wolf headquarters that his dad had bought Ben to go with the action figure.

~

Christmas morning for both of them goes extremely well, with both their sons overjoyed by their new Ranger Wolf toys. Ben and Stiles come over that afternoon, and before they run upstairs to play, Derek hears Ryan ask Ben if he wants to be a part of his and his dad’s pack. It settles something in his chest, and he’s glad things worked out. He’s learned that he needs to be at home more, to be there for Ryan, and he’s sure that will make Erica happy. Erica declares that she’s spending the rest of the weekend at her new boyfriend Boyd’s so don’t bother her as soon as Stiles shows up with Ben.

He and Stiles fall asleep together on the couch and only wake up when Ben shouts down that his Ranger Wolf speaks Spanish and Ryan doesn’t think that’s fair.

“You go deal with it,” Stiles mumbles against his neck.

“Me? You’re the one that bought a multilingual one.”

Stiles shrugs and falls back asleep, and Derek listens but doesn’t hear anymore from the boys, so they must have moved on. He pulls Stiles in a little tighter to him and falls asleep as well.

This he could get used to.


End file.
